Staunton, VA, Feb. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site clean energy to schools, hospitals, and businesses, has completed construction of a 766.79-kilowatt solar power system located on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA. The system was completed at no capital cost to the college through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with Secure Solar Futures.
A total of 1,651 solar panels manufactured by Jinko Solar were installed on rooftops of four buildings on campus: Dalton-Cantrell Hall, Holton Hall, Robb Hall, and Phillips-Taylor Hall. In its first year of operation, the solar power system will produce 1,087,016 kilowatt hours of energy which will provide approximately 31% of the power used by MECC.
“Going solar is an exciting opportunity for our students and for the whole MECC community,” said MECC President Kristen Westover. “While saving money on energy and doing our part to help the environment, getting solar panels on campus is a tangible sign that we are bringing the 21st-century economy to southwest Virginia.”
Student Internships Lead to Solar Careers
Five MECC students helped install solar power equipment on campus as part of a workforce development program run by Secure Solar Futures in conjunction with GOT Electric of Ijamsville, MD, the contractor performing the construction work.
After a seven-day long intensive course of classroom training at MECC in subjects including industrial safety, introduction to construction, the national electrical code, and solar power installation, students moved on to the hands-on training phase of the program under the supervision of NABCEB-certified solar installers from GOT Electric.
Secure Solar Futures paid each of the students a $500 stipend for completing the classroom sessions where they earned nine college credits each. The company also covered students’ travel costs and provided students with work boots and a set of tools that will be theirs to keep. During their on-the-job training, students were paid $17 per hour as employees of GOT Electric.
At the conclusion of the internship program, all five students were offered, and have accepted, ongoing employment with GOT Electric, where they can continue to work on solar projects at schools in the region or elsewhere.
Clean Energy and Money Savings with No Upfront Cost to MECC
Enough to power 78 average Virginia homes, the clean energy produced by MECC’s solar system in its first year will also provide environmental benefits by avoiding 958 metric tons of carbon pollution, which is equal to the emissions produced by 223 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles, or the carbon sequestered by 961 acres of U.S. forests, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Under the Power Purchase Agreement, Secure Solar Futures provides solar power equipment at no upfront cost to MECC. For the 25-year term of the agreement, the company will own, operate, and maintain the solar power system and will sell the energy produced to MECC at a rate lower than the local electric utility. During the PPA period, MECC will save $621,986 in net avoided costs for electricity. After the conclusion of the PPA term, MECC can opt to take ownership of the solar power system at a nominal cost, producing its own energy for the remainder of the equipment’s 35- to 40-year productive lifespan. Over 35 years, the system is expected to yield net savings in power costs of $2,431,872.
The Coalfield Solar Fund is funded by global financial technology platform Intuit and was established to support solar power at K–12 schools and community colleges in Virginia and West Virginia historically associated with the coal industry. The fund provided a $100,000 incentive grant for MECC to adopt on-campus solar power.
“MECC is showing leadership in southwest Virginia, setting an example for this historic energy-producing region to tap into solar power at a scale that benefits the local community,” said Tony Smith, CEO of Secure Solar Futures. “But the college’s leadership extends further afield, leading the whole Virginia Community College network towards a solar future.”
MECC is the first in the Virginia Community College system to take advantage of an agreement allowing any of the state’s 23 community colleges to obtain solar power at no upfront cost under a Power Purchase Agreement from Secure Solar Futures.
About Mountain Empire Community College
Founded in 1972, Mountain Empire Community College serves Wise, Dickenson, Lee, and Scott counties and the City of Norton in Southwest Virginia. As part of the Virginia Community College System, MECC provides accessible, affordable, and high-quality education designed to meet the needs of students, employers, and the region.
The College offers associate degrees, certificates, workforce training, and transfer programs that prepare students for in-demand careers and continued academic success. With a strong commitment to student support, community engagement, and regional workforce development, MECC plays a vital role in strengthening the economic and educational landscape of Southwest Virginia.
Mountain Empire Community College is dedicated to student success, innovation, and service to the communities it proudly serves.
About Secure Solar Futures
As a market and policy leader, Secure Solar Futures builds, owns, manages, and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions® for schools, hospitals, and businesses. The company combines state-of–the-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental, and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Solar Futures became a Certified B Corporation®. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com.
Attachments
- Solar power systems at Mountain Empire Community College
- Solar power system at Dalton-Cantrell Hall, MECC
